Improvement in cartridge-ejectors for revolving



C. S. WELLS.

Cartridge Ejectorfur Revolving Fire-Arm's.

Pate nted De'c.10 1872 Jill/Gilillt A M. PHUTOi/THUGIYAFHICCIZMY/USBORNES PROCESS] IMPRQVEMENT IN CARTRlDGE-EJECTORS FOR REVOLVENGFiRE-ARM$.

CHARLES S. WELLS, on NEW HAVEN, oormnorrour.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,732, dated December10,1872.

To all when it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. WELLS, of New Haven, county of New Havenand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cartridge-Extractors for Fire-Arms 3 and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, showingmy invention as applied to a revolvingfire-arm; Fig. 2 is'a perspectiveview of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the extractingmechanism in full lines and contiguous parts in dot-- ted lines; andFig. 4 is a horizontal section through the arm just above, and showingthe hook and its operating-lever anda magazine arranged on the left sideof the arm.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and efficientmechanismwhereby cartridges may be started and ejected from breech-loadin gfirearms, andparticularly from that kin d called revolving fire-arms,which is the kind here illustrated; and to this end my invention consists in the novel combination of parts particularly hereinafterdescribed.

Arepresents the frame in which the lock mechanism is located; B, thehammer; and G, the cylinder, all substantially of the usualconstruction. In the right-hand side of the frame a groove is made, inwhich is fitted a slide, at, provided at its forward end with a hook, asshown. The slide (1 is also provided with an inwardlyprojecting lug orhook, against which a small spring, 6, presses to return said slide toits forward position when the same is released from the pressure of thehammer. Just 'in front of the hammer is pivoted in the frame a shortvibrating arm or lever, a, one end of which engages with a notch in theslide at, and imparts to said slide a sudden and rapid motion backwardwhen the other end is struck by the falling hammer in the act of firing.In the upper part of the frame is pivoted a transversely-arrangedwedge-shaped piece, f, called a starter. Said starter is placed so' thatits sharp edge lies close to the rear end of the cylinder, and has aspring-piece, g, resting against it when in operation, which presses thestarter g in behind the flange of the cartridge-shells as the cylinderrevolves, and, on account of its wedging, starts the shell by positiveforce as the cylinder moves forward under the impulse of its pawl in theact of cooking the arm, the shell being loosened in its seat by thestarter f in the act of cooking the arm, and, rotating the cylinder, itis carried so that its flange comes just behind the hook on the slide d,which, in the act of firing, receives a sudden impulse from the hammerthrough the medium of the vibrating arm a, and thereby throws thecartridge-shell clear of the piece. The cylinder being full ofcartridges, the spring g should be raised away from the starter untilone cartridge has been fired, in which case no shells will be withdrawn,but that next the extracting-hook will freely pass in front of the same.After one fire the spring 9 should be put in position, resting in anotch or depression in the edge of the starter, after which, at everyfire, an exploded shell will be withdrawn and ejected clear of the arm,so that there is no delay or separate operation to get rid of theexploded shells, as is usually the case with revolving fire-arms.

This invention can be applied to arms already made, and new ones couldbe made cheaper and more durable than heretofore, as no break-down hingeand catches will be required, the cartridges being inserted andwithdrawn from the rear without either removal or exposure of the breechend of the cylinder.

In Fig. 4 I have represented a magazine or pannier such as may be usedin connection with this kind of arm; but I prefer one in which thecartridges are held in a tube and automatically fed to and forced intothe chambers in a cylinder; as, however, the application of such isobvious, no specific description thereof is herein given. The cartridgebeing loosened by the starter as the cylinderrevolves, there is verylittle resistance to check the force of the blow of the hammer.

It is obvious that the slide and hook may be made to operate with goodresults without the starter by increasing the power of the mainspring;but the best results are obtained by combining a starter and ejector, asshown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The slide provided with itsbook, when combined with the oscillatinglev'er and hammer or striker, asdescribed.

2. The combination of the extractor and an oscillating lever arranged asshown, whereby a sudden and rapid movement is imparted thereto and theshell ejected by a blow from the hammer in the act of firing, as setforth.

3. In a revolving fire-arm, the starter for loosening thecartridge-shells, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the starter, the adjnstable spring stay forholding said starter and forcing it to engage with the flange of theshell, as-set forth.

5. The combination and arrangement of the pivoted starter andspring-stay, constructed as shown, whereby the starter may be forcedinto or released from engagement with the cartridge, as specified.

6. The combination, in a fire-arm, substantially as set forth, of astarter and ejector, whereby the cartridges are first loosened bypositive force and then ejected by a sudden and rapid movement, asspecified.

' CHARLES S. WELLS.

Witnesses:

SAML. F. J ONES, WM. G. ALLEN.

